Machine for the manufacture of concrete blocks and the like



July 8, 1930. E. ca. ENTICKNAP 1,770,303

MACHINE FOR THE MANUFATURE OF CONCRETE BLOCKS AND THE LIKE Filed May 14, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet. 1

July 8, 1930. E. ENTICKNAP MACHINE FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF CONCRETE BLOCKS AND THE LIKE Filed May 14, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet July 8, 1930. E. G. ENTICKNAP 1,

MACHINE FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF CONCRETE BLOCKS AND THE LIKE Filed May 14, 1928 4 Sheets$heei 3 July 8, 1930. E G. ENTICKNAP MACHINE FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF CONCRETE BLOCKS AND THE-LIKE Filed May 14, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet Q consistency, Y

the moulded article therein and refilling the v 56 tion at Patented My 8,1930

ERNEST sEoBeEENTrcKNAr, or ALTON, ENGLAND MACHINE EOE THE MANUFACTURE or coNcEErEfBLooKs. A D-THE EIKE A Applicationfiled May 114, 1928, serial No. 277,753, andin Gre t Britain July 4, 1927.

the 'newly filled'moulds 'aremovedintothe- This invention relates to machines for jmanuiacturing concrete blocks, bricks, cores and like articles formed lay-pressing compounded materials, plastic" or semi-plastic bodies or the like, and the object'oi' the invention is to provide a machinewhichwill be lairgely automatic in action, simple in construction, and whichwill produce moulded articles uniform in density. homogeneous in in texture and free from laniinations';

Thefinvention also provides means for feeding the machine with prefilled moulds, aligning same upon the press member, reducing the-material automatically to a desired removing the f mould box and box for cyclic operation.- a V s r The invention consists essentially in providing a machine whereby the material .to'be moulded is subjected toj a progressivelyfincreasing ta mping pressure fe'cted by providing"thefmachinewith a reciprocating tampingffhe'ad. and With-"a sup porting table forthe work which movesf'the work towards the 'tamping head as the, reduction 'or consolidation offthe work proceeds! c Insthe preferred form oiconstruction cording to the present invention, however, the

material to be moulded is'subjected to asimultaneous' pressing and tamping operation while it remains in a stationary mould. Reference will now be made to the-accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 1s a front elevat on of a machine having a s'tationarysupporting table for the 7 work, V v s I, Figure 2 is a diagram showing'the arrangement of the controls on the machine shown in Figure 1, V Y Figure '3 is a front elevation of a mo dified machine in which thereis a combined pressing and tamping head, in whichthe supporting table for the work isarrang'edto move towards the head as the reductionor consolidation of the'work-proceeds," v A Figure 4 is a side elevation of; a modified frame is' open onth'ree machine in which the sides so as to enable the finished mouldsto be moved away from the machine in a direcright angles to the direction in which This may beef- ,means of pins 11 on :ingin "guidesinthe head, and is operated by any suitable means, -'on a shaft 13 connected by: a'belt driveto an "electric motor 14 carried on the head 8. A I The mould-boxeslti are arranged tobe run A on to and ed the platen 1 ontrolleys16 run- I l '7 The hydraulic cylinder 4 is :pump 24:.

connecting rod 25 gear provided thereon,

Figure 5 shows a method of feeding by means of'circular and r'otary tracks;

- The' machine shownvin Figure 1 has a stationary press platen or work supporting table 'lwhich forms part ofa'ri'gid structure, comprising vertical side frames 2 con'nactedto gether by transversetie bars 3.

amuse cylinder 4' having-a ram 5 support- Ting e; cross'headhwhich is'guided in the side frames 2 and connected by vertical pillars 7 to a head 8, also guided in the side frames 2.

A. hollow reciprocating piston :9 working in 1 fa cylinder formed in the head 8 carries a tamping'and pressing element lO'guided by the,tamping'element-slidsuch as an eccentric 12 having depressible sections 5 17; supported on springs 18 on the platenl, these Disposed within the structurethus formed; and preferablybelow theplaten 1 is anhysprings vbeing designed to becompressedum der the pressure of the hydraulic ram 5"s'o that the mould box will bear directly on'the V platen 1. Alternatively in any of theviews shown the mouldingboxes may be fitted with wheels, andithe trolley dispensed with.v I,

fluid through" and is supplied with pressure 2) under the pressure lines 19 (see :Figure controlof a hand-operated valve20. The pressure fluid is stored in reservoirs 21 in the-side A which may conveniently be formed frames 2 as shown in Figure 1, these reserp; voirs being connected at their lower ends by a pipe 22, and one of them being connected througha pipe 23 to the suction side, offa 24 is mounted on the head 8 as 1 and operated through a froma crank: on the shaft The pump shown in Figure double acting, A I

13. The delivery side of the pump is connected through a pipe 25 to a three-way valve 26, through which the pressure fluid coming from the pump may either be delivered through a pipe 27 to the hand control valve or returned through a pipe 28 to the res ervolr.

The valves 20 and 26 are controlled by a handle 29 having three positions, marked 1, 2 and 3 on the drawings. In the position 1 the valve 26 connects the pipe to the pipe 27 to deliver pressure fluid through the valve 20 and pipe to the upper end of the cylinder 4 so that the ram 5 is moved downwards by the operation of the pump 24, the pressure fluid already in the cylinder 4 being exhausted through the pipes 19 valve 20 and pipe 31. In the second position of the handle 29 the valve 26 shuts off the supply of pressure fluid to the pipe 27 and allows the delivery from the pump 24 to escape through the pipe 28 directly to the reservoir. At the same time 7 the valve 20 shuts off the supply to the pipe 30 and cuts off the exhaust from the cylinder 4, thus holding the ram 5 against movement.

In the third position of the handle 29 the valve 26 cuts off the escape through the pipe 28 and again delivers pressure fluid from the pump 24 through the pipe 27 to the valve 20,

but in this position the valve 20 delivers pres sure fluid through the pipe 32 to the lower endof the cylinder 4 so that the ram is moved upwards by the operation of the pump 24, the pressure fluid in the cylinder 4 being exhausted through the pipe 30, valve 20 and pipe 31 to the reservoir.

In order that the downward movement of the ram 5 may be stopped automatically when the material under treatment has been reduced to a predeterminedthickness, an automatic pressure relief valve 33 is connected between the pipe 30 and reservoir 21, such valve having a stem 34 adapted to be engaged and depressed by an adjustable element on the head 8 or crosshead 6 so as to act as a bypass and to prevent the further delivery of fluid-under pressure to the pipe 30 when the thickness of the material under treatment has been reduced to thepredetermined dimension. In the the operation of the apparatus shown in Figures 1 and 2 after a charged mould box has been run on to the press platen 1, the motor 14 being in operation, the handle 29 is moved to theposition 1 whereupon the pump 24 supplies pressure fluid through the pipes 25 and 27 valves 26 and 20, and pipes 30 and 19 to the cylinder 4 and moves the head 8 progressively downwards towards the. mould box 5. As this motion proceeds the material is subjected to progressively increasing tamping pressure by the downward movement of the head until it is reduced to the predetermined thickness whereupon the valve 33 is operated automatically to release the pressure thus preventing further downward movement of the head 8.

After the treatment of the work is conelud ed the operator moves the handle 29 to the position 3 whereupon the ram 5 is moved upward to raise the head 8 clear of the work, thus enabling the mould. box 15 to run off the press platen 1 and permitting a new mould box to take its place.

At any time during the tamping and pressing operation the operator can release the pressure and thus arrest the action by moving the handle 29 to the position 2.

Figure 3 shows a modified form of construction of the machine more specially designed for the manufacture of bricks and like articles in which the press platen 35 is provided with a mould boX 36 permanently fixed thereon and having an ejector 37 for the finished brick operated by a hydraulic ram 38 working in a cylinder in the press platen.

In this machine the press platen is carried by a ram '39 Working in a cylinder 40 fixed to the side frames 41 and is adapted to be moved vertically towards a tamping and pressing element 42 carried by a fixed crosshead 43.

The tamping element 42 is carried by pillars 44 sliding in guides in the head 43 and supported on coil springs 45 as shown, tamp- .ing movement being imparted to the element 42 by means of a reciprocating piston 46 sliding in a cylinder formed in the head 43 and operated by an eccentric 4'? on a shaft 48 mounted in bearings on the head 43 and driven by a belt 49. v

In order to enable a final increased pressure to be applied to the tamping element 42 when the material in the mould boxes 36 has been sufficiently'reduced or consolidated, one or more hydraulic rams 50 are provided working in. cylinders in the head Sand adapted to press the element 42 towards the press platen 35.

A hydraulic pump 51 similar to the pump 24 shown in Figure 1 and operated through a connecting rod by an eccentric on the shaft 48 is provided on the head 43 for the purpose of supplying hydraulic pressure.

Figure 4 of the drawings shows a further modified machine designed to be open on three sides so as to enable the finished work to be moved away from the machine in a direction at right angles to the direction in which the Work is moved into the machine.

, In the form shown, the head 52 is supported by a single side frame 53 and has a tamping element 54 to which tamping movement is imparted by a reciprocating piston 55 working in a cylinder formed on the head 52, and operated by an eccentric 56 on a shaft 57 journalled on the head. As shown, the shaft 57 is driven through a belt by an electric motor 58. The press platen 59 is carried on a ram working in a hydraulic cylinder 60 whereby it can be moved towards or a check valve 62* to the cylinder'60. An,

automatic pressure reliefor by-pass valve 65 connected between the pressure pipe 62 and a bypass pipe leading to the reservoir 55 is arranged tov be opened by an adjustable stop 67 on the press platen 59 when the material in the mould box has been. reduced to the predetermined vthickness so as to release the pressure in the pipe 62Tand thus prevent further movement of the press platen. 1

The material to be treated is filled into mould boxes supported on trolleys 68run-. ning on rails 69, there being two sets of rails. at right angles to one another, one for the filled mould boxes being delivered to the machine and one for the finished mould boxes being led away from the machine.

In order to'enable the mould boxes to be transferred from the one set of rails to the other a turntable 7 O mounted on a fixed support concentrically with the press platen 59 is provided. j

An automatic valve 165 is connected be- I tween the cylinder 60' and an outflow pipe 66 leading to the reservoir, such valve being operated by a bell crank lever 167 having a projection 168adapted to be engaged by a cam plate 169 provided on the trolley 68. The cam plate is so designed that when a filled trolley'is brought up to the press as shown in Figure the lever 167 is depressed to open the valve 165, but when the previous trolley has been removed and the filled trolley moved into position over the press platen 59,

' the projection 168 is released'by the cam plate 169, thus permittingthe valve 165 to close.

In the operation of this machine after the filled'boxes have been run on to the turntable and brought into registration with the tamping head, the shaft 57 is set inrotation so as to give the necessary tamping movement to the head and to' operate the pump 1 V 63, thus supplying pressure fluid to the cylinder 60 and lifting'the press platen 59. In

order to ensure accurate registration, the

press platen may'haveprojecting pins (not shown) adapted to engage in corresponding recesses in the trolley or mould box. This device may also be appliech where applicable, in any of the other forms of the machine described herein. v r

The mould box is carried towards the head by the motion of the press platen 59, and receives a progressively increasing tamping pressure which continues until; the material ,duced or consolidated. This point isjdetermined} by the thickness of'the material in the mould, andwhen it is reached the valve T isoperated automatically by {the stop 67 seasto release theprssure inthe cylinder 560j and prevent further movement of the r pressplaten." When thishas been done-"the a iope'rator movesafilledflmould on a trolley 68 up to the. machine,

press platenftoreturn by gravity to its initial position, thus depositing the finished ;mould with the result that the automatic valve;f6 5is"opened to allowt'he box with its trolley on the turntable 70. The

trolley 68 is then transferred to the desired set of rails 69 and removed fromthe machine. This enables the new trolley with its.

mould box to be moved into position over the press platen, and when this has been done the valve 165 closes automatically and the platen then moves upward under the -hy-' drauli'c pressure supplied by the pump 63. In Figure 5 a double circular track is shown feeding threemachines, the wheels ofthe moulding boxes or trolleys 16,68, or being i set to take the curve. In a modification a sin.- gle track may be used, and .thismay rotate,

thu acting as a conveyor, the boxes in such 1 case moving with the track.

I Cl2L11IlZ ed articles, concrete blocks and the like, comprising a framework, an upper tamplng mem- H '1. A machine for the manufacture of mold ber and a lower press platen carried by said movable toward and away from said tamping member, sets of track rails running in different directions from said machine, -moulding boxes movable on saidtrack rails, a turntable supported by said framework concentrically with said press platen, and track rails carried by said turntable and adapted to be brought into alignment with anyof said sets of track rails for'transferring the moulding boxes from one'set of said rails to another.

-comprising 'a tamping element operated by an-eccentric and connectingrod or like means and'an hydraulic pressing element operated under the control. of valves so arranged that ,the pressing member is retracted automati- Qcally when'a filled mould is brought near to the machine and is automatically advanced tion in the machine.

for subjecting the material in said mould to 'a'progressively increasing tamping pressure, '7 i and means for. subsequently exerting a steady 2. A machine for the -manufacture ofj moulded articles, concrete blocks and the like framework,- said lower. press platen being ,100

topand bottom pressure upon the material in the mould.

4. A machine for the manufacture of moulded articles, including a support for a mould a press head disposed above said support, a reciprocating tamping head mounted on said press head, means for continuously reciprocating said tamping head relatively to said press head and meansfor effecting a continuous relative motion of said support and press head towards each other.

In witness whereof I affix my signature.

, ERNEST GEORGE ENTICKNAP.

his 

